


Masks

by orphan_account



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, angsty fluff???, yeah let's call it that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-21
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-10 10:53:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4389023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This takes place before the future children go back in time. Gerome isn't so certain that their mission is worth it, but Lucina is determined to try. Their feelings, however, get in the way of them properly communicating their thoughts...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> edit: i've completely rewritten the second chapter, and i'm working on a third. this is mainly just a draft i'm pushing around and experimenting with. once i feel it's a polished product, i'll likely move it over to fanfiction.net, but i'll keep it up on here, too. (also, i'm coming up with a better title, and if you have any suggestions on anything, especially a title, it's much appreciated! i'll be sure to put your username in the notes of the finished product as a special thank you!)

"So where do you want these swords, Lucina?" Cynthia asked from over her shoulder. 

"In this next tent up here will be fine," Lucina replied. She, Cynthia, and Gerome trudged through the light drizzle, armfuls of swords in tow. Cynthia ducked into the tent. Lucina and Gerome followed her in, placing the weapons in a neat pile.

"I'm gonna go catch up with Owain, if all the chores are done, alright Sis?" Cynthia chided. 

"That's all for now, thank you for your help," she replied. Cynthia skipped out, energetic as ever. "Thank you, too, Gerome," Lucina added. 

The air between them almost bristled now that Cynthia wasn't between them. 

"Er, it's fine," Gerome mumbled. 

"Is something the matter, you've bee-" 

"What's the point in this?" Gerome interrupted. 

"Moving the swords? Morgan and I had a meeting and decided we need to travel lighter, so-"

"Not the swords. This whole mission. It's suicide." 

Lucina felt a shock go through her body. "What do you mean?"

"Our parents are dead. I miss my parents just as much as you do yours, but we can't bring people back from the dead. And it certainly isn't worth getting killed to try. We're better off staying here, where we can honor our parents by fighting this hell."

Lucina took a few seconds to process his words. She began to worry. Were their more people in the army that agreed? Did people question the mission? She choose her words carefully, "This  _is_ fighting, Gerome. We're fighting to correct the past so this hell never happens."

"You can't change the past. It happened. We need to move forward, Lucina, instead of running away to the past!" he voice grew louder. Every word hurt her, and they hurt him, too.

"This is the best chance we have! Naga herself blessed our efforts, she believes we will succeed!" her voice rose to match his.

He rolled his eyes, and though his mask hid the gesture, Lucina could sense his annoyance. "I don't give a damn about what Naga thinks. If Naga cared, she wouldn't have let this happen! What will even happen to us once we succeed? Do we stop existing? Did you even bother to give that a thought?"

"No, because I don't care if I die, so long as another version of us is safe. I just want one version of me to grow up with two parents, Gerome. I just want my family back," Lucina felt tears choke her.

"Do you want it so badly that you'd lead your friends and comrades on suicide mission?" he replied in an accusatory tone.

"It's not a suicide mission. If you don't like this plan that much, then leave!" the words left her mouth before she could even think about them. She immediately covered her mouth and her eyes went wide. "Gerome... I-I'm sorry, I didn't me-"

"No, you're right. Maybe I should. I should've never come," Gerome turned away. Tears welled up in his eyes behind his mask, which he was now grateful for.

"No, please, wait!" she reached and grabbed hold of his hand. He stopped, his skin warm where it met hers. His heart skipped and he wrestled his hand free.

He looked back at her and examined her through his tears and his mask. She was hurt inside, he could tell. She didn't mean it. She's just optimistic in her sad, broken kind of way. She's driven. She has goals that exceed her reach, and that meant that if anyone,be it enemy or comrade, stood in her way, she'd do everything it took to overcome them. That's the kind of person who will break your heart, he thought to himself, before turning away from her and walked out of the tent.  


Lucina watched as he disappeared from her sight. She became aware of the sound of the rain in the silence that now filled the tent. She let her tears go, the waves of them shaking her shoulders. She shouldn't have said that. She regretted it as soon as she'd said it. He probably hated her now. They'd grown up together, they had been best friends through their childhood. But now he seemed to grow further and further apart. "Damn this!" she yelled, punching a crate next to her. Her knuckles split open and blood began to trickle from the wounds. I know better than this, she thought. Love isn't for the leader of an army.


	2. Chapter 2

Lucina sat on her cot, kicking off her boots. Tomorrow was the day they'd go back in the future. It was a lot to think about, almost too much for her. She had so many fears-what if she ended up no far back enough, or too far? What if she couldn't find her father in time? What if, what if, what if... Her head was spinning so much she hardly heard the call outside her tent.

"Lucina... milady, may I speak to you?" a soft voice asked.

"I-oh, yeah, uh, come in," she said, pulling herself out of head. 

Gerome entered the tent with something in his hands. He felt awkward in a girl's tent, especially Lucina's.

"What is it that you need?" she asked, feeling the tension as thick as molasses between them.

"I guess I'm here to apologize. I know this mission brings you a lot of hope, and I was wrong to doubt-"

"You are never wrong to doubt, you are allowed to feel how you wish," she said, but she realized to late how harsh her words sounded.

"Are you still mad at me, because I can leave. I can leave very easily," he tested her. His eyebrows knit together beneath his mask.

"No, don't leave, Gerome, please! I'm sorry about I said what I said about you leaving."

"Then why did you say it? Would you not care if I leave? You know I don't have many friends here. I can fly away with Minerva at any time."

"I wasn't thinking, okay? I was upset, and my thoughts were clouded, I didn't mean it," Lucina began to feel defeated. She'd imagined them apologizing many times after their fight, but they never did. They hardly would meet each other's eye, let alone talk. Out of all the scenarios she'd played in her mind, none of them went like this.

"Your thoughts were clouded because you were upset? How should we except you to lead us if you let a little disagreement destroy your judgement?"

"It was hardly a 'little disagreement'! Disagreements don't include yelling, Gerome. Arguments do!" her voice rose.

"Is that what this is, too? An argument? Is your judgement clouded again? What terrible thing will you yell this time?"

"Quit asking me stupid questions, this isn't an interrogation!"

"Well, I wouldn't be asking so many if you would quit avoiding them!"

"I'm not avoiding your damn questions, I just don't see how they're relevant!"

"Look, Lucina, I came here apologize and wish you well on this suicide missio-"

"Oh, so you're still on about that! Why do you even care if this is a suicide mission? We'll die here anyways, with the Risen about."

"I care because I don't want you to die!"

"Why? Why should you even care?"

"Because I love you!" he shouted. He dropped the object in his hands in shock as the words left his lips. Lucina's eyes darted to it. A blue mask.

His voice seemed to shake the air, but as soon as it died done, the silence loomed between. Seconds elongated themselves to feel like minutes and minute to feel like hours. Their faces felt uncomfortably hot and they glowed red.

Lucina broke the silence, "Gerome, I-"

"I shouldn't have said that. I'll be taking my leave now," he interrupted, turning around to exit the tent.

Lucina stood in shock, unable to truly formulate her thoughts into anything resembling a coherent sentence. This wasn't how she'd imagined their apologies at all. She bent down to pick up the mask off the floor. Attached was a note, her name written on the top in Gerome's messy script. 

_Lucina-_

_I hope you find this mask to be useful in your efforts to fix this world. You've already taken up the name Marth, so perhaps a mask could complete the look?_

The note was unsigned, but it didn't matter to her. She studied the mask carefully before holding it close to her breast. So whispered almost impossibly quiet, "I'm so sorry... I've made a mess of things..." Tears threatened to fall, but she wiped them away, even though no one was around to see her weakness. Lucina had had her fill of crying for one life, but it hurt nonetheless. But at least she knew that he shared her feelings, even if he was bad at sharing them.


End file.
